aristocracy
/ˌeɹəsˈtɒkɹəsi/eh-ruh-STO-kruh-see
/ˌɛɹəsˈtɑkɹəsi/eh-ruh-STAH-kruh-see
Meaningrule by the best
Common meaning: rule by a privileged class
- aristbestLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 117 · scan
- cracstrength, power, ruleLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 842 · scan
- ynoun ending: study, state or act
‘best’ + ‘strength, power, rule’ → aristocracy
Journey through time
- arist — Greek ἄριστος “best” (path traced)
- crac — Greek κράτος “strength, power, rule” (path traced)
- Greekἄριστος + κράτος‘best + strength, power, rule’
- Englisharistocracy‘rule by a privileged class’ · today
crac also in: autocratochlocracyplutocracy
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek ἄριστος ‘best’ + Greek κράτος ‘strength, power, rule’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry κράτος, p. 842 · dictionary scan
Roots
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app